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'Don't want anybody to go hard at him': Bishop drops MI star's reference in point-blank verdict for PBKS youngster
Ian Bishop didn't mince his words as he talked about Punjab Kings youngster after the side's narrow loss against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday.
The Delhi Capitals delivered a massive setback to Punjab Kings' hopes for a playoff qualification on Wednesday night, beating them by 15 runs in Dharamsala. The Capitals – already eliminated from the playoff race – were invited to bat first and posted a strong score of 213/2 in 20 overs; in reply, the Kings could only reach 198/8, with Liam Livingstone (96) leading the lone fight in the final few overs of the game.
The Kings had endured a horrid start to the run-chase with their captain Shikhar Dhawan being dismissed for a golden duck; Atharva Taide (55), then, helped stabilise the PBKS innings alongside Prabhsimran Singh (22) and Livingstone. Taide had made a positive start to the innings but as the required run rate continued to increase, the 23-year-old Maharashtra batter was struggling to find consistent boundaries.
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And so, at the end of the 15th over of the innings, the PBKS team management decided to retire the young batter out, sending in power-hitter Jitesh Sharma to replace Taide. While the batter was lauded by the side's members as he went back to the dressing room, Taide was visibly upset with himself. While the PBKS eventually failed to chase down the target, former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop lauded Taide for his innings and stated that being retired out would be a learning for him.
“Taide is a young guy. He has been in and out of the team, and perhaps, went out when he should've been in. Like Nehal Wadhera last night, he will learn from this, and it will make him a better player. I don't want anybody to go hard at him. Tough for a young kid learning his game,” Bishop told ESPNCricinfo following the game on Wednesday.
Wadhera, who represents the Mumbai Indians, had a forgettable outing against Lucknow Super Giants earlier this week, as he was dismissed on 16 off 20 deliveries in a 178-run chase, as the side eventually lost by five runs. The MI star, however, has shown his power-hitting skills earlier in the season, scoring at a strike rate of 141.72 in 11 matches this year so far.
